Kiln.



J. T. UNDBRWOOD.

KILN. APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1910.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. NM NN Witt wows and State of Ohio,

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. UNDERWOOD, OF KACHELMACHER, OHIO.

KILN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4., 1911.

Application filed July 28, 1910. Serial No. 574,242.

opening can be increased or diminished to To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. a citizen of the'United States, Kachelmacher, in the county brick and other ware of clay.

The ob ject of the-invention is an improved and simplified construction whereby the control of the air and gas is improved and the arts are rendered more durable and less liab e to destruction.

The invention is embodied in the con struction herein shown and described the invention not being confined to the particular form of parts illustrated.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a general view of a number of kiln units in plan and section, the sectioned ortions being on several different horizonta planes for the purpose of illustrating the details of construction of various parts. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on lar er scale of one of the units or chambers o the kiln with frac tions of the contiguous units, the section being taken transversely of the unit or longitudinally of the system. Fig. 3 is a section on the line mw Fig. 1 looking to the right to show the gas and hot air supplying devices. Fig. 4 is a section on the line (5 ra t i Fig. 1 lookin to the right to show the conductor.- igs. 5 and 6 are a plan and section respectively to show the valve for the air conductors. Fig. 7 is a detail in ele vation showing a salt spreading device.

As illustrated more particularly in Fig. 2

a unit or chamber consists of a semi-circular arch or dome 10-having a perforated or open work floor 11 the spaces or openings of which lead to a central draft duct 12 and also to a hot air exit duct 20 to be herein- 5 after more articularly described. The duct 12 has a ischarge 12 externally of the chamber. Along one and the corresponding Side of the floor in each chamber is a series of burners 13 each consisting of a hollow cylindrical pocket built of brick, the pockets of the series being each located in upri ht position upon a horizontally arranged ot air duct 14 havin an opening 15 into each of the pockets. T e opening 15 is provided 5 with a slab 16' constituting a valve by means of which the size of the exit through the regulate the quantity of hot air supplied to the burner from the duct 14.

The character '16 designates a also arranged alon ber, but below the ot air duct 14, as seen at the right hand side of the unit shown in Fig. 2. The gas duct 16 has a lateral branch 17 leading upward through the filling between the adjacent arches and into the burner 13 above the air inlet 15. Said duct 16 also has an inlet 16 be 0nd the chamber s duct,

through which gas is supp ied from the main branc The supply of gas from the lateral branch 17 to the burners is controlled b a one side of t e cham-' valve 18 seatin on a seat 19 in the vertical portion of the ranch 17 said valve having a rod handle 18 extending to the-top of the filling between the upper sides of the arches so as to be there accessible for manipulation.

At the side of the unit or chamber 6 0- site that containing the burners 13 amfbelow the open work floor is a duct 20 for i the discharge from the chamber or ashereinafter described of the products of com bustion or hot air. The ducts 20 and 14 are connected to each other at each end and be- I yond the chambers by U-shaped connections 21 in each of which are slide gates or valves 22 and 22". v In each of the said U-shaped connections and between the valves 22 and 22 is-an opening 23 closable by a ca 23. The burners 13 and ducts 14 in eac chamber are footed in sand 24 so as not to be disturbed or destroyed by the expansion of the floor due to heat. The ducts 20 and 14 are each divided by a transverse partition 20 and 14"- respectively was to cause the dis charging or entering of hot air to be divided or received -more nearly equally with reference to the op osite ends of thechambers.

The gas supp y main 25 which is underground is traced in Fig. 1 by dotted lines a and said main has outlets or feeds 255 opposite each chamber and any particular duct which green brick or were has .been placed for the drying or water-smoking process.

This hot air conductor 27 is provided with openings 2'? opposite the U-shapedhonzontal connections 21 at each end. of the chamber, and said connections 21 are connected.

with the hot air conductor 27 by means of removable U-shaped pipes 28 fitting on the openings 27 a and the openings The character 29 designates the mam draft duct. said duct being provided with an ordinary suction fan for drawing the air therefrom in the direction indicated by the arrow. The duct 29 'is provided with anopening 29 opposite the discharge 12; and 30 designates a U-shaped pipe to connect the discharge 12 with the discharge 29 The openings 23 and 27 are provided with suitable removablecoversas seen at 23 and 27 respectively for'clo-sing them when not connected with the ducts 12. The outlet and inlet 16 are formed with suitable removable covers 25 and 16 respectively to close them when those openings are not connected to supply gas to the burners of a chamber. The discharges 12 and 29' are provided with suitable removable covers;12

and'29 respectively when those openings are f not connected as described.

cap 33 for keepingthe openings closed when salt is not being supplied. The roof of the chamber is provided with the usual cooling vent 34 that is closed with a cap 3-5 when the kiln is to be heated or kept hot.

The operation as before indicated is a continuous one. For example referring to the seven kilns in the lower part of Fig. 1 which.

arelettered'A, B', C, D, E, F, and G from right to left, the parts are shown as arranged for burning ware in kiln D. Assuming the o eration tobe taking place and that the kiln G contains ware and is quite hot and the kilns B and A contain coollng ware, the

process may be described as follows: Hot .air from B and G is mainly conductedto the burners ih D where it is mixed with the gas for combustion. The chamber G contains green brick but said chamber is cut oil? from communication with all the said chambers except A which latter is connected with G by means of the connecting yokes 28 said yokes eifectin such communication through the air duct 2 The draft in duct 29 causes the hot air from chamber A to flow .intothe chamber G for watersmoking or drying the green ware. The Hot air from chamberD The upper after combustion is drawn through chambers E and F where it further dries ware that has been water-smoked as in chamber G. The chambers F and G aredissociated from each other when desired by closing the valve 22; the valve 22", being opened, but both'.

said chambers are connected with draft duct 29 by means of the yokes 30. The kilns A, 13,.C, &c., become cool enough in-succession vfor the removal of ware and as it is removed, a kiln, freshly filled with green ware beyond that designated G, is added to the series,. and this addition can take place in an adja-.

cent parallel series as indicated above the lettered series.

With this invention a reducing firecan be obtained by cutting off the air supply to the burners and'a proper oxidizing fire had by supplying air to the burners and controlling the same at will. The heat and fires it will llie1 observed are controlled externally of the It will be observed that with the herein" described construction the processes of oxidizlng, reducing, and Water-smoking can all be carried on at the same time and continuously. Forexample, let it be assumed that the ware in kiln B is ready'to be cooled, and

that the ware .in kiln C is ready for the reducing fire.

A reducing vfire is then ob-* tained in kiln C by closing all the dampers i that admit air to or take air from that kiln.

(except that the middle" or main draft'fiue or tunnel is left open) and leaving merely the gas supply with sufiicient air for its partial consumption. To obtain an oxidizf ing fire in said chamber C the damper 22 is moved to open its passage and the'connectingmembers 28 applied to connect the cham-- 10 her A with the by-pass from which heated air passes to the chamber C. .A portion. of the hotair from the chamber A can also be sent through the chamber D or E or anyof those vbeyond. The products of combustion from a chamber in which a reducing fire is used should ordinarily be discharged directly into the draft flue and not conducted to a chamber in which an oxidizing fire is used otherwise faulty coloring of the warein the oxidizing chamber might ensue. Withthis construction it will also be observed that should it become necessary to repair a kiln such kiln'can be skipped inthe burning opera f ation; and allowed to cool sufliciently to per m1t the repairs withoutinterrupting the operations in the other kilns. I

Some of the features herein shown and de-- "scribed are claimed in an application for patent filed by me August-'26, 1909; Serial Number 514,813. WhatI claim is:

1. In a kiln of the kind described, incom-i bfination, a plurality of chambers, a dis- 1 char sand an intake duct in each of said cham ers, anfexternal by-pass duct common to the plurality of chambers, movable tubular devices external to the chambers forconnecting the discharge of any of said chamhere through the bypass with the burner of another of said chambers, a draft duct independent of the bypass and common to the plurality of chambers and movable tubular devices for connecting any of said chambers therewith.

2. In a kiln of the kind described, in com- .bination, a discharge duct within the kiln chamber and an intake duet within, an adjacent kiln chamber, a connection for-the twolducts externally of the, chambers, two'- valves in said external connection, said connection being provided with a vent, a bypass common to the chambers and a movable tubular connection for said vent and the by- )ass.

I 3. In a kiln of the kind described in combination, a plurality of chambers,gas burners in said chambers, means for supplying fuel gas to'said burners, means for supplylug air to said burners, conductors for conducting the products of combustion or heat from one chamber to the burner of an'adjacent chamber with means for controlling said conductors, a draft flue common to said chambers, means for connecting any of said chambers with said draft flue, a by-pass' inde endent of the draft flue also common to send chambers and means whereby any of said chambers can be connected with another chamber through said by-pass.

4. In a kiln ofthe kind described, burner, a salttable on said burner at the flame end thereof, the crown of the kiln being-provided with a conductor of salt to said table or receptacle. J

kind described 5. In a kiln of the a burner, a salt table including an arched shaped member adaptedto be supported at the flame .end of the burner and to omit the products of combustion from the urnerdescribed, in coman adjacent chamber withmeans for controlling said conductors, aqdraft flue for said chambers, means 'for connectln a chamber with the draft flue, a by-pass in ependent of the draft flue common to said chambers and means whereby any of said chambers can be connected with another chamber through said by-pass, substantially as described JOHN T. UNDERWOOD.

Witnesses:

ALFRED B. PAUL, Gno. M. FINGKEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

